Report by Rusty McCracken
HOUTZDALE – After an extended pre-season due to weather, the Curwensville Area High School Girls softball team took the diamond on Monday to start the 2024 season. The Lady Tide bested rival Moshannon Valley 9-0 in the season debut behind strong pitching and timely hitting.
Sophomore pitcher Addison Siple opened the season with a strong outing by striking out 17 Damsels in seven innings. Siple allowed only three hits among the other four outs of the contest while walking just two batters.
Six Tide batters combined to slap out nine hits while the offense also took advantage of seven Damsel miscues to plate the nine runs. Addison Butler and Ava Hainsey each collected two hits in the contest.
Curwensville wasted no time grabbing the winning run in the first inning. An error, a single by Siple and a walk to Natalie Wischuck loaded the bases with two outs. Hainsey plated her first two RBIs of the season on a single to center allowing Butler and Siple to score for a 2-0 start.
Errors plagued Moshannon Valley in the second when after two outs a dropped third strike, a passed ball and two errors allowed two more runs to score. Two additional runs scored in the third inning for the Tide as Ava Olosky reached on an error, Hainsey beat out an infield single, and after the first out, Sydney Simcox drove a single to right field to put the score at 6-0.
In the top of the fifth inning, Curwensville added to the lead with a pair of runs. With two out, Jenna McCartney doubled in a pinch-hit role. Butler followed with a double, and Addison Warren singled to the right side to score Butler.
Wischuck opened the sixth inning with a double and scored the final run of the game when Olosky followed by reaching on an error.
The Damsel errors put a damper on a good pitching outing by sophomore Annabeth Anderson. Anderson struck out 11 Tide batters in the contest while walking just one. Tessa Martin, Carly Robinson, and Brinley Kephart collected the hits for Moshannon Valley.
The Lady Tide will be back in action Tuesday afternoon with the season home-opener against Juniata Valley. The contest is slated to start at 4:30 at Coach Andy Evanko Stadium.
CURWENSVILLE – 9
C Addison Butler 5321, RF Addison Warren 5111, P Addison Siple 5110, SS Natalie Wischuck 3110, CF Ava Olosky 4101, PR Caitlyn Irwin 0000, 1B/3B Ava Hainsey 4122, 2B Briah Peoples 4000, LF Sydney Simcox 4012, 3B Silvia Witherite 2000, 1B Jenna McCartney 2110, TOTALS: AB 38, R 9, H 9, RBI 7.
MOSHANNON VALLEY – 0
CF Tessa Martin 3010, 2B Grier Williams 3000, P Annabeth Anderson 2000, C Carly Robinson 3010, 3B Brinley Kephart 2010, SS Kylee O’Donnell 3000, RF Leah Martin 2000, PH Ella Berg 1000, 1B Jocelyn Vereshack 3000, LF Mya Walstrom 2000, TOTALS: AB 24, R 0, H 3, RBI 0.
Pitching IP H R ER SO BB
Curwensville – W – Siple 7 3 0 0 17 2
Moshannon Valley – L – Anderson 7 9 9 3 11 1
Batting
2B – Curwensville: Wischuck, Butler, McCartney; E – Moshannon Valley: Williams 3, O’Donnell 3, T. Martin.
MARCH W-L
25 @Moshannon Valley 1-0
26 Juniata Valley 4:30
APRIL
2 Redbank Valley 4:30
4 @West Branch 4:30
5 @Purchase Line 4:00
8 Glendale 4:30
9 Williamsburg 4:30
11 @Brockway 4:00
15 Purchase Line 4:30
16 @Glendale 4:30
18 @Claysburg-Kimmel 4:30
22 @Juniata Valley 4:30
23 Brockway 4:30
25 @Mount Union 4:30
27 North Star (DH) 11:00
30 Moshannon Valley 4:30
MAY
2 West Branch 4:30
6 @ Union 4:00
7 @Williamsburg 4:30